FOCUS Magazine & Gallery now has a page on SocialVR.me, which is a network almost exactly like Facebook for avatars and businesses in SL. I’ve heard that Facebook doesn’t much like having avatars as part of their database and regularly has major sweeps of deletions, or disables things like Flickr-to-Facebook abilities. I presume their reasoning is that they want to compile (and sell) our RL photos and information, but if their information is impure because of avatars and aliases, they can’t guarantee to their clients that everyone who has an account in Facebook is a potential paying customer. Though there may be more to it than that.
The term “Social VR” means any virtual reality experience that is shared between two or more people. As people become more aware of SocialVR.me, this could potentially stand to rake in thousands of avatars from many different games. I don’t know a ton about it yet, but Athayus Quan is the founder and he personally invited me to join and create a page for FOCUS (after Avalon Bouvier-Boa introduced us).
Believe it or not, Kitten and DreVan Sinclair have been building even longer than they have been taking photos in SL! It’s their primary passion and, as DreVan says “the devil’s in the details.” Every build – including their current “city” build – is intricately designed and decorated. From large buildings to lamps, and chill spots to beauty shops – they have thought of everything! Patrick and I stopped by their home for a quick tour that turned into a fun evening event, and we still didn’t see it all! We were so impressed, we took the opportunity to have an impromptu interview for the March 2019 issue.
Angela: Well, first of all, you are an amazing building duo and as a couple you have created some incredible spaces together. How did you two even meet?
DreVan: Okay… how we met… It was at bloodlines east. I had just bought some new bites for my vampire hud and asked in local if anyone could help me with installing them and she messaged me. And then I ended up liegeing to her – which makes more sense if you are familiar with bloodlines and vampires here in SL. I ended up joining her clan under her. And there was something about her that I felt from the beginning.
Angela: So, I guess it was “love at first bite?” (Patrick groans in the background)
Kitten: I guess it was love at 1st bite. I love that! I think I’ll use it on a pic soon. Thanks!
Angela: You’re welcome! So, working so closely together do you ever disagree about the direction of a build? How do you plan out your builds and handle differing opinions?
DreVan: Kitten really matches my creativity. It’s almost scary! The difference is that she likes to focus on the inside. I’m into landscaping so it works out well.
Kitten: Yes, Drevan is more of the outside guy and I work more inside our builds. We do walk-thrus with each other and suggest different ideas. He’s got a little of this, I’ve got a little of that and somehow it all just works. But I’ll tell you, it’s not as easy as it sounds. We both have alts, so keeping up with who has what in which inventory isn’t easy!
DreVan: So true. But as far as differences and similarities, we are definitely on the latter. We hardly ever disagree on ideas of builds and that’s been the best part about it. Sure, we get annoyed from time to time with each other, but what couple doesn’t?
Kitten: Absolutely! We’ve had our rough times and we both thought it was over. But being apart from each other for a short time really brought us closer together. Things are different now – better. You have to learn from your experiences and pick your battles.
Angela: Have you had one build in particular that you felt was the most challenging or inspiring?
DreVan: I’d have to say that one time we made a “heaven and hell” where we built a platform the size of the land and had it about 500 M up. Kitten decorated heaven and I did hell. It was challenging but in the end was pretty awesome.
Angela: DreVan got hell?
Kitten: He CHOSE hell!
DreVan: I have more dark stuff than light in my closet.
Kitten: He is dark; I am light. That’s how we work!
Angela: What kinds of things inspire you?
Kitten: I’ve always been into taking pictures. Even as a child with a little 110 camera! I always had one with me. Then came digital cameras and cell phones and the internet and it just blew up from there.
DreVan: I was mentioning to Kitten about when Patrick did the last class. It was cool how he spoke about how well Doc’s pics have been coming along. This is one of the few groups that really seem to support the new folks as much as the vets.
Kitten: I’d like to say something to that, too. I would like to see a little more coming together from the photography community as a whole. Since I started my own Flickr group, I’ve noticed that people are SO choosy on who to post awards to. It seems only the most popular pictures get the faves and the awards. But there is beauty in all art. We all started somewhere, you know? So, if people would be more friendly and help each other out more, like this group does, it would be wonderful. So, thank you for always welcoming everyone into the group and making them feel part of the community.
Angela: Thank you for your kind words and for having us over!
Kitten: Y’all are welcome to come over anytime. Take all the pics you want! We put a lot of love into this. We hope to share with others because we SO enjoy it ourselves too.
Kitten and DreVan also create the scenes for most of the FOCUS events! You will be able to see their handiwork on the sim usually at the beginning and end of every month.
The Level Event is up and ready for your shopping pleasure! If you are like me, you have a habit of dressing the for season (ok, it might just be me), this event is perfectly timed to kick off Spring!
New season means new look! Hair, nails, skin and make-up to begin the season’s new you. Stunning options from Mila, Glamocracy, and Ascendant just to name a few.
I personally adore the Cindi outfit from Safira and will be giving up the 1299L for the 20 color fatpack. The color options are perfect for moving into warmer weather with an aire of sexy sophistication.
If you need something a little more risqué and eye catching, A Breakfast Convo is offering up the Eiffel Sparks Dress in 13 colors. This dress would pair perfectly with the Enviee Aremana Metallic Heels and the Nadiyah Earrings from November. Talk about cocktail party perfection!
Second Life has cursed me with a bit of a shoe addiction and Marchese is making sure that I don’t leave this event without at least one new pair! I adore everything about these shoes! The design, metallic accents, and the fact that they are only 299L!
Purses have never really been my thing, in RL or SL, but the Slow Me Down Bag from DDl is an adorable accessory and could make me a convert. At least this season.
I have always LOVED the shopping events. You can get a little taste of the latest offerings from so many different designers without having to search 20 blogs or landmarks. Though never rule out a designer based on a single event or outfit. Some of my favs took me a while to fall in love with. It’s like that guy you are good friends with but you’re convinced he is in the friend zone, and then, BAM! You love everything about him. In SL, you might change partners as often as the season’s style, but at least with shopping you will get an amazing wardrobe and not a single hit to your reputation!
